


Grow old with me. The best is yet to be.

by OldGuardianNewTricks



Category: The Old Guard (Movie 2020)
Genre: Angst, Happy Ending, Joe and Nicky both die, Like no one else could love like these two!, Loss of Immortality, M/M, Nicky and Joe are meant to go together, and to do good in the world, love so much love, major character deaths
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-12
Updated: 2020-11-12
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:02:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,946
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27532711
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OldGuardianNewTricks/pseuds/OldGuardianNewTricks
Summary: This is inspired by a beautiful post by Peachpitandpomegranate on Tumblr.What happens if Joe and Nicky lose their immortality together and grow old.They do die but I think I’ve given them a happy ending.
Relationships: Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova
Comments: 14
Kudos: 110





	Grow old with me. The best is yet to be.

They’ve been alive for well over a millennium. This weird gift has enabled them to do good, to travel the world and to love and be loved by a truly good and wonderful man. They know the gift can leave them. And it has done so dramatically in the past. Lykon and Quynh died in battle not knowing the immortality was gone until they were fatally injured. Andy had learnt about her loss of immortality when she was shot by Booker- eventually dying rescuing women from a violent drug cartel. 

Nicky’s immortality leaves him whilst he’s shaving. Nicoló Di Genova, sniper par excellence, trained dancer, one of the two best swordsmen to have ever lived is rubbish at shaving. He cuts himself at least 4 times every day but he simply finishes getting dressed and wipes a warm cloth over his face and no-one is any the wiser. Obviously Joe knows but Joe is the other half of Nicky so it doesn’t count. On a particularly grim and grey Tuesday Nicky wipes his face only to see small spots of blood well up again. He wipes again. And again the blood seeps out. 

Nicky rubs his finger over the blood and watches as it beads on his face. 

“Oh”

He thinks

“Joe!”

Is his next thought because Joe is always in his thoughts. Joe his constant companion and his soulmate. Without Joe there would be no Nicky, without Nicky there will be no Joe. Nicky tilts forward grabbing at the sink. His heart rate races, black spots appearing in his vision. How will he tell Joe this. It’ll destroy his love. His visions swims and Nicky cries. 

Joe’s immortality leaves him whilst he’s prepping vegetables for dinner. Yusuf Al-Kaysani, warrior par excellence, artist and poet and one of the two best swordsmen to have ever lived is rubbish at at chopping vegetables. He usually cuts himself at least 4 times but he simply wipes a wet cloth against his fingers and washes the knife and no-one is any the wiser. Obviously Nicky knows but Nicky is the other half of Joe so it doesn’t count. On a particularly grim and grey Tuesday Joe is cutting vegetables for a veritable feast he’s making for Nile’s visit, distracted he slices his finger. He grabs a towel and wipes his finger only to see the blood well up again. He wipes again. And again the blood seeps out. 

“Oh”

He thinks

“Nico!”

Is his next thought because Nicky is always in his thoughts. Nicky his constant companion and his soulmate. Without Nicky there would be no Joe, without Joe there will be no Nicky. He leans over the sink, his finger starts to throb with every beat of his heart, he feels sick to his very core. How can he tell Nicky this. It will destroy his love. He presses his uncut hand to his mouth and Joe cries. 

Nicky rubs his hand over his eyes and braces himself. This is Yusuf. He must tell him now and they will deal with it together. He makes his way to the kitchen.

Joe splashes some water on his face and braces himself. This is Nicoló. He must tell him now and they will deal with it together. 

Joe turns keeping his injured hand behind him as he hears Nicky enter their sunlit kitchen. Nicky looks pale and his eyes are wide.

“Habibi?” 

Says Joe gently

All thoughts now simply on the man in front of him

“I..... I’ve stopped Joe. Stopped healing I mean.”

Nicky stops as his voice cracks- he can’t look at Joe- doesn’t want to see the hurt there. He doesn’t want to leave him behind.

“Nicoló , my love, we knew didn’t we?”

Joe crosses to Nicky and gently removes the towel from his cut finger.

Nicky can’t believe his eyes. He blinks looking from the cut to Joe’s beautiful face and back again. 

He reaches out to touch the cut gently just as Joe tenderly strokes his finger over Nicky’s face. 

“Together.”

Whispers Joe.

“Destiny.”

Whispers Nicky.

They lean forward and grab the other half of themselves. Kissing and crying and laughing. They sink to the floor and that’s how Nile finds them an hour later curled up with each other, flushed and breathless. 

“Eww, guys in the kitchen- really!”

And they look at her eyes shining and hold their arms open to her.

“Uh?”

And they show her Joe’s cut finger and the shaving gashes on Nicky’s face. And Nile breaks down because how can she lose both of them? Because Joe and Nicky are Joe and Nicky they spend the afternoon cuddling her, reassuring her that they will be with her for many years to come and really they are both fine and right now they are with her.

They call Booker that day and he’s with them a mere 3 hours later. They comfort him too because he is their little brother and he loves them more dearly these days than he ever has.  
Nile and Booker only stay a night because Joe discovers that the love bites he enthusiastically sucked onto Nicky’s skin now remain and he can make such pretty patterns. He spends the next day just staring at Nicky and insisting that Nicky removes his shirt so that Joe can plan the next part of his ‘art work’. Nicky discovers that he can take Joe apart so devastatingly in bed that Joe literally can’t walk properly the next day. 

A decision is made to take a break from missions for the time being. They need to plan what they are willing to do. Nicky thinks that him being their sniper with Joe as spotter should be ok. But they want to think about it long and hard. 

“What will you do instead?”

Asks Booker, Joe and Nicky look at other and shrug. After so many years of life they finally get to live. 

The years seem to pass in a blink of an eye. They spent 6 months discussing what they wanted to do and then looking for training. Angela Copley, the great granddaughter of James Copley, sorts out ID’s and their housing portfolios.

Professor Yusuf (call me Joe) Al-Kaysani is a world expert on art, specifically Islamic art but he can talk with great knowledge on art from any culture or period. He is a visiting lecturer at several prestigious universities and is beloved equally by students at all of them. He takes on several PHD students to mentor every year and each and every one keeps in touch with him. Life is busier than he can ever remember and he loves it.

Professor Nicoló (call me Nicky) Al-Kaysani is a specialist trauma councillor. He runs a private business which charges but only the people who can truly afford to pay. Most of his clients are able to access his therapy sessions by applying for a specific grant. Nobody has ever been turned down for their grant. He is a calm and quietly spoken man who is beloved by all his patients. He takes on several students every year and each and every one keeps in touch with him. Life is busier than he can ever remember and he loves it.

They have a beautiful apartment in Rome which allows easy travel throughout Europe. Joe has a studio with sweeping views and plenty of light. Nicky has a study/office which is calm and serene. They of course have a holiday home in Malta which Joe inherited from his ‘uncle’.They intend to retire there. 

Nile and Booker come and stay with them often. The boys decided to withdraw from missions when they realised that they were being too much of a distraction to Nile and Book. They now give the benefit of advice in the planning stages and provide somewhere for both of the immortals to come and relax and be taken care of post mission. 

After 5 years they seriously consider adopting children. But Nicky breaks down one evening. Weeping in his husband’s arms as Joe tries to soothe him

“How many could we actually take Joe? How can we do our training and give them all the love and time they deserve? We used to do good- we should do good now but it won’t be enough.”

Nicky’s breathing got faster and he felt as though no air was getting to his lungs. He stares at Joe. Panic growing in him like a cold slimy thing. He realises he’s shaking hard and looks to  
Joe- eyes wide.

“Look at me my love, breathe with me.”

Nicky starts to copy Joe and after a few minutes he begins to calm. Breathing easier his heart not trying to leap out of his chest.

Joe wraps his husband in his arms and kisses his sweaty temple. Truly his kindness is too great for the world.

Joe starts to think over the next few days and considers the money they have accrued over their long lives. He speaks to Nile first who cries and tells him it’s an amazing idea. Booker goes quiet and then simply asks

“What do you need?”

He speaks to Angela who hugs him and said she’ll do whatever is needed. 

6 weeks later over diner Joe slides the proposal across the table to Nicky. 

Nicky reads the piece of paper over and over, tears forming in his eyes as he says

“Can we?” 

Joe smiles as he takes his hand and says

“Yes and we must.”

2 years later Nicoló Al-Kaysani and his husband are welcoming the first group of children to ‘The Scythian’. It’s a beautiful house set in huge grounds. It is to provide holidays for children from care homes and orphanages. There is a fully stocked library, a games room, a cinema room. Cooks to make fresh home cooked food. There are staff hand picked by Nicky and Joe to give love and care to every child. There is a full range of sports on offer including boating and swimming in the lake. Nicky chooses a team of councillors to be on hand for anyone who wants them. Joe and Nicky are regular visitors. Over the years new branches of The Scythian are set up over Europe, in the Middle East, Africa and America. Thousands and thousands of children are welcomed through the doors and each and every one has nothing but wonderful memories from their time there. 

Time passes and their age begins to show. Joe’s beautiful curls begin to turn grey. Silver streaks threading through them. The laughter lines at the edges of his eyes deepen with every year. Nicky has never found him more attractive. Their sex life is more active and vigorous than ever. They bruise now. Love bites stay, beard burn stays too and Nicky is so entranced by this that he grows facial hair himself, even Nile finds herself saying

“Damn Nicky- you’re hot!”

Nicky finds that he needs glasses for reading. Nile goes with him as Joe pleads

“He’ll pick awful frames- please go.”

Nicky finds the whole procedure bizarre having never had an eye test in his life before but he prefers it to the dentist. Nile helps him pick a pair of tortoiseshell coloured rectangular frames which really suit him. Joe must think so too as when they walk through the door Joe drops his mug, opens and closes his mouth a few times before launching himself at Nicky and kissing him soundly. Nile lets herself out, the boys don’t notice. 

Mortality has its downsides. Joe is prone to awful headaches. Migraines, tension headaches many types. Nicky buys blackout blinds for the bedroom. They work out which drugs are best. Nicky spends hours with Joe’s head in his lap, he gently massages his head, neck and shoulders. Joe prefers heat to cold so Nicky heats packs in the microwave for him. Joe likes fresh air so Nicky throws the window open. He hates silence during his headaches so Nicky sings softly to him in Arabic and whispers words of love in Italian.

Nicky picks up every single cold going and develops asthma. Joe prepares him hearty soups when he is ill and makes sure he takes his inhalers regularly. He brings him cooling cloths to bring down a fever and helps him wash and change into fresh night clothes. 

Time passes.

They age.

They Live

They Love

Life could not be more perfect.

So thinks Nicky until he arrives home and finds the love of his life weeping in his studio. 

“My heart, what is it. Oh what is it?”

Cries Nicky- terrified that Joe is ill.

Joe holds up a sheaf of papers. Nicky takes them, slightly bewildered and starts to look through them whilst carding his fingers through Joe’s hair. The papers prove to be invitations to several up coming exhibitions. Nicky checks the dates and sees that they don’t cross over so they should be able to attend them all. 

“So little”

Whimpers Joe

“Nicky, there’s so little left.”

“Beloved?”

“How many years do we have left? 30? 40? There’s so much art that I won’t get to see, I just thought I had more time.”

“Oh, oh my darling man.”

Nicky pulls Joe into his lap and kisses his tears away. 

“We’ll do all we can my love, see all we can.”

Nicky starts to think after that afternoon. Starts to think about the money they have accumulated over many lifetimes. The various pieces of artwork in their safe houses- admired and loved by them certainly but should they be doing more with it? 

He raises the idea with Joe over a simple supper they share over a candlelit table. Joe drops his cutlery and his eyes swim with tears.

“Really habibi! You think we could?”

“It’s us my heart, we can do anything. And we should.”

It took a lot of organising, much help from Nile and Booker and a great deal more from Copley but a mere 3 years later Joe was standing at a lectern flanked by his beloved husband and three of his previous students officially opening the Yusuf Al-Kaysani Art Museum and Research Centre. Alongside the museum is the Di Genova Foundation which offers scholarships to students who want to study Art or Art History. The Foundation also helps those who wish to study art to go on to teach it. Frequently those enrolled in the Foundation volunteer at a Scythian Centre offering art classes or trips to local museums and galleries to the children there. 

Time continues to pass. Nicky and Joe are loved by all who meet them. When they finally retire to Malta they make friends quickly. Their house is beautiful and opens onto a splendid garden. Nile and Booker spend months here at a time. Relishing the sun, the smell of jasmine in the garden. Joe paints and can finally get the recognition he deserves. They build an extension to the museum to house an art gallery. Joe shows his work and the work of students who have passed through the Foundation. Nicky publishes several highly acclaimed books on trauma and counselling. 

Time passes.

They age

They live

They love

Joe suffers with arthritis. His joints hurt and he moves slowly. He is as beautiful as ever, silver curls and twinkling eyes. Nicky’s memory starts to get a bit confused but Joe only has to smile at him and he is instantly soothed. Age suits Nicky too his hair is as white as snow, as is his beard. His eyes are still like the sea on a stormy day and the glasses he has to wear every day magnify them. Joe itches to draw them but he finds it hard to hold a pencil. 

Time passes. They both know the end is drawing near. They feel it but don’t fear it. After all this time together they won’t be parted. The next adventure will be for them to take on together- as always.

Nile and Booker move in permanently. They spend time laughing and reminiscing with them. Remembering Andy and Quynh. Telling stories, Nicky repeats himself but it’s such a joy to hear him that they don’t say they’ve heard it before. 

One evening Nile helps Joe to bed and Booker helps Nicky. 

Nicky looks at Booker, then at Nile and simply says

“When it is our time, it is our time.”

Booker cries and Nicky holds him. He kisses Nile and Joe then does the same. They tell each other they love each other as they always do. 

The next morning Joe and Nicky don’t come down for breakfast. 

Booker and Nile know before they open the door. Joe and Nicky have gone, together as always. Joe curled behind Nicky in the position they have slept in for well over a millennium. 

The boys had left paperwork for The Scythian Centres, the Museum and the Foundation. 

They have a joint funeral. It is full of people who loved them dearly. Children who spent many holidays at a Scythian Centre, patients of Nicky, students of Joe. The wake is notable not for sadness but for laughter and warmth. 

The house in Malta is left to Nile and Booker but they need to get away, just for a bit. 

They wander through the rooms seeing traces of the boys everywhere. Booker loads the car and Nile locks up. She pauses there with the sun on her face, the scent of jasmine on the breeze and she could swear she hears Joe’s growling laugh, followed by Nicky’s snort of joy.

“I love you” 

She whispers.

Then heads down the steps to Booker.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading. 
> 
> If you cry I am sorry but not really because that’s what I was aiming for!
> 
> I hope you agree that it was a ‘happy’ ending for this pair- I love them so dearly.


End file.
